Review: Dominated by Maya Banks

16 November of 2016 by Jean

Reviewer's Rating: 4

4.0Overall score

Betrayal... perhaps the hardest to forgive and yet...

Dominated By Maya Banks

Genre: Erotic BDSM Romance

Released: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Berkley

Series: Enforcers, Book 2

Synopsis
The desire that exploded in Mastered continues its conflagration in Dominated—from the New York Times bestselling author of the Surrender Trilogy.

To save her, he had to betray her…

In Drake’s shadowy world, his enemies would exploit any weakness he had in order to bring him to his knees, and so he’s never allowed himself to care about anyone…never exhibited any vulnerability, and it made him a force to be reckoned with. Until Evangeline—his angel. A woman who slipped past his defenses like no one had ever managed. She was his to protect and ultimately, to do that, he had to do the unthinkable and drive the only good thing in his world away.

But he will stop at nothing to get her back…

Devastated and destroyed, Evangeline doesn’t know what made Drake turn on her in such a shocking manner. She only knows she’ll never be the same. He once freed her from all her inhibitions, only now she is a prisoner to never-ending pain. But when Drake finds her again, she realizes there is more to his world than she ever imagined, and she must decide if she can once more trust—and submit—to the man who holds her wounded heart in his hands. And he must convince her of just how far he’ll go to regain her love and forgiveness.

Review

Reviewed by Jean

Betrayal… perhaps the hardest to forgive and yet…

As with Mastered, the first in the Enforcers series, Dominated has a mixed bag of reviews. I’ll admit that I have mixed feelings as well. I fluctuate between a 3.5 and 4-star rating so we’ll stick with a 4. My indecision has a few factors. One… I was frustrated with the hero making the same mistake not once but twice and the heroine paying the consequences. Two… the heroine is all too forgiving too quickly in my book. Redeeming factors are the heat level, the secondary characters and the fact that the hero “wakes up” by the end of the book for an HEA.

Although you know from the first book that Drake is a very wealthy and powerful man that owns a club, you aren’t overtly clued in that his business endeavors might not be on the up and up. Dominated definitely gives you a clue… but that is it. Just a clue. No more. One of my frustrations with Drake is that he is so secretive with Evangeline. There is a lack of trust that I feel is needed for a true HEA. Even when all of his most trusted men tell him he’s a jackass and making a mistake he’s totally clueless. His one saving grace… he is caring and protective and most important he finally wakes up.

Evangeline is such a compassionate heroine that it’s easy to fall in love with her. It’s also easy to become frustrated with her propensity for tears and a too easy readiness to forgive. Thankfully, she does say enough. I absolutely loved her relationship with Drake’s enforcers. She has quite a way with capturing the loyalty of these rough and rowdy men that makes them all too easily stand up to the boss in her defense. Evangeline is a nurturer at heart. It shines through in every interaction she has.

While I had my moments of frustration with the characters and it seemed that the hero might never get a clue I did enjoy reading Dominated. The heat factor is definitely there. If you are looking for an erotic BDSM romance then this one might very well do the trick.

♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Enforcers Series

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About Maya Banks

Maya Banks

Maya Banks lives in Texas with her husband, three children and assortment of pets. When she’s not writing, she can be found hunting, fishing or playing poker.

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